A TRAINSPOTTER was fuming after being ordered to stop taking photos at Macclesfield train station – because he might pose a "security risk".

Edmund Tan, a retired chartered accountant from Prestbury, was approached on the platform by a Virgin Trains worker who demanded he put his cameras away.

The company later said there is a ban on taking pictures or filming at stations without permission because of "security concerns" – which includes fears over possible terrorist attacks.

Footage shot by Mr Tan, of London Road, shows the confrontation, ending with him pleading: "But I’m a trainspotter!"

Mr Tan, who owns 200 model trains, had the showdown when he dropped off his daughter Jennifer, 22, at the station.

He later said: "I was amazed. In the past I have always taken photos of trains on the platform. The member of staff came over and told me to turn the camera off because I had not asked permission. She was very rude. When I asked for permission she said ‘no’. I had asked her to be quiet because I wanted to film and she said I had been abusive."

A Virgin Trains spokesman confirmed the incident and said: "Mr Tan was advised not to take photos at the station without permission. He was then told he could not have permission. These rules apply to all stations. They are private property. It also helps ensure safety and security, both of the people taking the pictures and of the general public."

When asked what risk a trainspotter might pose, the spokesman added: "There are a number of issues around security. They could include things like terrorism or station security."

Down by the station this week, Maxonians had their views.

Security worker Ken Fisher, 70, who lives in Hurdsfield, said: "It’s ridiculous. What harm is he realistically going to do? He’s a trainspotter! It’s going over the top."

But Radhika Rajurkar, of Union Street, Macclesfield, said: "Train stations are busy places and can be dangerous. People could take photos and put them on the internet, and they could be misused."

A station taxi driver, who did not want to be named, said: "If there was an incident at the station six months later, and police showed CCTV footage of a suspect taking pictures a few weeks before, it would be a different story, wouldn’t it?"

What do you think? Were staff right to take action or is this just another example of the world going mad?